McCaskill: Too many GOP 'tantrums'

"I don't think in America we should throw tantrums when we lose elections and threaten to shut down the government and refuse to pay the bills," the Missouri Democrat said on "Fox News Sunday." "The American people had a choice last November. They had a choice between someone who said repeal Obamacare, and President Obama."

Her comments come as Congress grapples over spending legislation in which funding for Obamacare is a key sticking point. If no solution is reached, the government could shut down.

"I cannot believe that they are gonna throw a tantrum and throw the American people and our economic recovery under the bus," she said of Republicans. "It is really gonna hurt real people. And this is just political point-making."

She singled out Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who has been an especially vocal advocate of defunding the law, even opposing movement on a House-approved funding measure because, he says, there is too much leeway for Obamacare funding to be added in in the Senate.

"This is about running for...president, with Ted Cruz," McCaskill charged. "This isn't about meaningful statesmanship. This isn't about doing what we were sent to Washington to do, and that is, compromise and run the government."